


Three Years.

by listentotheink



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2013-05-07
Packaged: 2017-12-10 17:17:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listentotheink/pseuds/listentotheink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, while Harry is sleeping, Louis likes to think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Years.

Harry was asleep.

Sometimes, Louis liked it when the younger boy slept. But most of the time, he preferred him awake. He liked it when Harry would cook him breakfast, dancing around the kitchen of their flat naked. Or when he would curl up against Louis on the couch with a cup of tea and biscuits to share while ITV2 played in the background.

But sometimes, he liked when Harry slept. iIt gave him more time to think. And tonight was no exception to that. It was the eve of their fourth anniversary as a couple, and as Louis brushed his hands through Harry’s sweaty curls, he couldn’t help the flood of memories that hit him.

Especially when Harry cuddled closer and his breath tickled Louis’ neck.

****

Louis was nervous. Like, unnaturally nervous. And it was driving him absolutely mad. He’d never gotten stage fright, not ever, and he had always been performing. He sang, danced, and acted his way through school and wanted to go to Uni as a drama student.

Not that he had ever made it through college... he drank and partied too much.

But this wasn’t college, or university, or any type of school. This was the X Factor, and no matter how confident he actually was (which was mostly just an act because he was really, really, really fucking insecure with himself) if he was shit, the judges wouldn’t hesitate to cut him. This could change his life, and he wasn’t ready to be sent back to Doncaster.

So that’s how he found himself muttering under his breath and walking to the bathroom as quickly as he could without breaking into a run.

He burst through the door with a relieved breath, only to find a curly haired lad doubled over, spitting into the sink before filling his hands with water. Louis eyes narrowed.

“Hi...?” He said, his voice bordering between confusion and curiosity. The boy, who had filled his hands with water again while Louis had studied his sure-to-be-lanky frame, jumped. Consequently splashing water all over Louis’ jumper.

“Oops...” The boy said with a sheepish smile. God. He had dimples.

Louis felt his heart stop.

“I...I’m Louis.” he said, mustering up a smile. “You?”

“Nervous.” the boy said. His eyes (which were a peculiar shade of green, jade maybe? But they were beautiful nonetheless) sparkled.

“Bit of an odd name.” Louis said, shooting the boy a quirky smile. “And don’t worry about the jumper. Not like I liked it or anything.”

“Sorry...” The boy said, looking away.

“It’s just water. If it was piss, we might have had a problem.”

The boy smiled. “I’m Harry.”

\--

They were in a band together. He and Harry and three other lads. Of all things, they were in a bloody band. Which meant they had to share a room at the house if they got through to the live shows, and maybe even spend everyday together for the rest of their lives, if they got signed. But he couldn’t get ahead of himself.

Fate was surely in his favor, though. Because a few days after they were put in a band, he found himself in a car on his way to Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, where they were going to spend two weeks in Harry’s bungalow. Harry’s. Bungalow.

Sure the others were going to be there but it was still Harry. And it was bonding. And it was getting to know each other. And it was getting to know Harry. And God he was such a teenage girl with a crush.

It was disgusting.

But it was sure to be a good time. And he and Harry were sharing a room. The bungalow only had two bedrooms and a couch, and Niall had called the couch, then Harry had immediately grabbed a hold of Louis’ arm with a ‘me and lou are sharing’. They barely knew each other and Harry wanted to share a bed with him.

What?

\--

“Five random facts about yourselves.” Harry said, taking a sip of his soft drink while Louis took one of beer. He was the only one that could legally drink “Go.”

“I was the fastest runner in Wolverhampton.” Liam began. “I was on the shortlist for the 2014 Olympics, I auditioned for XFactor in 2008, I’ve got two older sisters, and my birthday is August twenty-ninth.”

“You were really going to be in the olympics? That’s sick!” Zayn said, taking a drag of a cigarette.

Liam grinned, and then shrugged.

“It’s really nothing.”

Zayn shook his head. “If you think that, you’re too humble for your own good, mate.”

“Niall?”

Niall swallowed the handful of crisps he had been crunching on.

“Mum and dad are divorced, I’ve got a brother, middle name is James, hair is really blonde, and I was Oliver in a school play once.”

“My middle name is James.” Liam said with a grin. “Twins.”

“Louis?”

“Gay. Grease is my favorite musical. My original last name was Austin before my dad left us, then I took my stepdad’s last name... I’ve got four sisters, and I haven’t seen my real dad in about ten years. Bloody wanker didn’t even show up to my graduation.”

He didn’t think he was imagining seeing Harry’s eyes and smile widen when Louis had announced to the others that he was gay. But that could have meant a couple different things. Harry could be gay too, or he could just be happy that he’d have someone to take the piss on. But he didn’t seem to be like that. So... Louis would hope it was the first one.

“I’m knackered.” Harry said with a yawn, stretching dramatically. He glanced pointedly at Louis.

“We didn’t even get to hear yours and Zayn’s five facts!” Liam said.

“Plenty of time for that in the morning.” Louis said. “I’m a bit knackered as well, lads. I’m going to turn in for the night.”

“Night, guys.” Niall said. “See you in the morning.”

He followed Harry into the room they were sharing, and immediately fell into bed, cuddling up against the younger boy and falling asleep without a word.

\--

“I can’t just be a test for you, Harry.” Louis found himself saying a month later as they laid together on his bunk. All the others were asleep. They had been busy for most of the day, since it was their first week of live shows. “I can’t put my heart on the line and then have you freak out and deny being gay, or whatever. It’s happened before.”

“I promise this isn’t a gay freak out.” Harry said, taking Louis’ wrist and aligning their palms. “I’m bisexual, and I really like you. I’d like to try a relationship if you’re willing. And if this whole XFactor thing works out in our favor, which I think it will... I think it would be cool to maybe get a flat together. Even if it doesn’t work out. It would be fun to live together, I think.”

“Imagine the mischief we could get up to, having our own flat.” Louis said with a grin, resting his head against Harry’s shoulder. “We could have the mental parties. Ones that would take days to clean up after!”

“And we could buy as many spiderman statues as we want. And have a sick game room.”

“And we could cuddle. Because I’m going to miss your cuddles when we go home. Whenever that may be. You’re a good pillow, Styles.”

“Could say the same about you, Tommo.”

“Is that a fat joke?”

“You know I love your tummy.” Harry said, running his hand down Louis’ arm with a grin. Louis giggled (and that made him sound remarkably like a schoolgirl).

“Tickles.” He said between laughs. Harry grinned and started to poke Louis sides. Louis thrashed up against him, giggling like mad, and Harry rolled so he was straddling him. He continued to attack Louis’ sides and Louis thought that maybe, just maybe, he might be in love with this curly haired little shit he called his best friend.

“Oi!” Zayn’s voice said from the bunks across the room. “If you two don’t shut the fuck up in the next three seconds, I’ll attack you.”

\--

When they were off the live shows and signed, Harry and Louis got a flat together, and then they went on a skiing holiday with money they had gotten with their signing bonus. Louis was terrible at skiing, but Harry didn’t need to know that. If he never found out, it wasn’t going to hurt him.

Too bad he found out within the first five minutes of Louis jumping out of the lift chair.

As it turns out, Harry wasn’t too good either.

Because when Louis toppled to the ground, Harry didn’t know how to stop, and all Louis felt were the front of Harry’s skis digging into his side and Harry’s body crashing on top of his own before they both broke out into hysterical laughter.

After a moment their laughter came to a stop, and Louis looked up at Harry, only to see his emotions echoed in the younger boy’s eyes.

And this was the moment.

This was when he knew he was in love.

And as Harry leaned closer, everything replayed in his brain. The first time he saw Harry in line just before he was interviewed at his audition. The first time they met in the bathroom. All of the short exchanges they had had at boot camp. When Louis had jumped into Harry’s arms when they had been put into a group. The gentle touches they had exchanged while staying at Robin’s bungalow. The way Harry led him to bed the night he had had one too many beers while there. The video diaries. How their affections had grown throughout the X Factor. How the others had noticed something more between the two of them and made Louis leave for a few days to make sure nothing actually happened. How he had called Harry every single day they were separated. The stolen moments during rehearsal breaks. The kisses pressed to the top of Louis’ head when they got ready for bed.

Everything had come rushing back in a whirlwind and when Harry finally pressed his lips to Louis’, hesitantly at first then growing in confidence as Louis kissed back, that was when Louis knew. When they both knew. That this was something different. Something new.

Something that was going to last.

****

When Louis woke up the next morning, it was to Harry’s lips on his, greeting him with a sleepy morning smile and the soft brush of hands through his hair.

Three years.

Three years of two cups of tea a day, music videos on days off, fighting with managers, stolen kisses in the changing rooms, not-so-hidden touches on stage, wearing each others clothes, slamming of doors, sleeping in separate hotel rooms, dealing with a beard, travelling all over the world, sexual innuendos, Louis taking the tough questions to protect them..

Three years later, and nothing had changed. They were still Harry and Louis. Louis and Harry. There wasn’t one without the other. And the looks they gave each other hadn’t changed.

So when Louis reaches into his nightstand and pulls out a cool band of metal and slides it onto the middle finger of Harry’s left hand, he does so without hesitation.

He knows with every fiber of his being, this was what was meant to be. Fate had worked hard to bring them together.

He wasn’t going to mess it up.


End file.
